Northwoods League Holds Home Run Derby in Lake Michigan

This has to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. The Northwoods League is a college summer ball league located in the Midwest. It’s touted as one of the premier leagues of it’s kind in the country. During their All Star break last week, they had their annual home run derby, as many leagues do. But unlike many leagues, the Northwoods held their home run derby on the edge of Lake Michigan.

The pitcher and hitter were lined up on what looked to be a small but steady dock, and the hitters launched missiles deep into Lake Michigan. The lake was marked for home run distance, and it was littered in boats, rafts, and kayaks filled with fans looking to snag home runs.

College summer baseball is unlike anything else. For a summer, these college baseball players get to experience a bit of what professional baseball is like. They move far away from home and school, stay with a host family, and play a crazy 50+ game schedule in a two month span with a bunch of guys from other schools they just met. This event is everything college summer baseball is about. Apparently in the Northwoods League you get to launch dingers into Lake Michigan.

Shout out to Sawyer Gieseke, from the University of Arizona for the sick video. Here’s another video with some better angles of the home runs.